In Love's Shadows
by Spunky0ne
Summary: An accident at the twelfth throws Renji into the arms of a lovely stranger. But their unintended joining has unexpected results that toss their lives and a few others into chaos. When the situation turns disastrous, Renji learns the true meaning of love and family. Renji/Tetsuya, Renji & a few others, Ichigo/Byakuya and traces of Orochi/Tetsuya. Angsty, but with a great ending!
1. Wicked Concoctions

**In Love's Shadows**

**By Spunky0ne**

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**An accident at the twelfth division throws Renji into the arms of a lovely stranger. But their night of mindless passion has unexpected results that toss their lives and a few others into chaos. And when the situation turns disastrous, Renji learns the true meaning of love and family. Renji/Tetsuya (with some Renji/Hisagi & others, a little bit of Orochi/Tetsuya and a good helping of Ichigo/Byakuya) This story is yaoi with mpreg, angsty, but filled with love, passion and an ending worth waiting for!**

**(A/N**Sorry for the long delay in starting this, but yes, it is time for the one...the only REDSTRAVAGANZA! I will be unleashing a torrent of lovely red-filled Renji-chapters with more Renji in love and Renji in distress than you can imagine. Let's get the ball rolling with a little bit of brand new Renji/Tetsuya. Feisty and sweet at the same time. It's also got some lovely Ichigo/Byakuya, which is becoming a guilty pleasure of mine [add it to the list, right?:)]. I am currently working on chapters of Blood Rain, This Thing That's Not Quite Love, These Eyes That Love You, Love Never Forgotten and Red Samurai 2: Demonkind! Those will be along after this introductory morsel!)**

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**Chapter 1: Wicked Concoctions**

"Nemu!" Kurotsuchi Mayuri snapped from where he leaned over the body of a naked and recently deceased quincy, "Have you gotten the readings from the laboratory study on that sample we took from this subject?"

"It just came back, sir," Nemu answered calmly, "I have it here."

"Well, don't keep it to yourself," the twelfth division taichou said, snatching the file, "I want to know why that compound he secreted had the effect it did on those two technicians he attacked. Oh, and have _they_ done anything else surprising?"

"No sir. After they...after _the event we witnessed_, the compound faded from their systems. They are back to normal, except..."

"Except what?"

"Except the female technician is showing signs of impregnation."

"What? How?" Mayuri mused, "Usually, even after copulation, conception takes somewhat longer."

"This compound seems to quicken the bonding and heighten the fertility of the ones touched by it."

"Augh! I am not interested in stupid love potions!" the scientist complained, "What kind of power is this? And what was it that exploded and killed his victims? There must be more to this. I want some answers, not some silly love potion!"

"It appears that the secretion, while not deadly in and of itself, is highly reactive. The pheromones in it are powerful, so they overcome the victims, making them oblivious to all but a desperate need for sexual release. Then, while they are occupied with that, the compound destabilizes and becomes combustive."

"It explodes?" Kurotsuchi said, his eyes widening with interest, "Now, that is more like it! Take more samples from this barrel of secretion I extracted from him. Hurry it down to the laboratory and begin additional testing to confirm the results. Just take that barrel with you."

"Sir, I don't know if moving..."

"I didn't ask you to _think_, you imbecile!" Kurotsuchi steamed, kicking the barrel over and watching it roll in her direction, "Get out of here and stop bothering me!"

"Neither of you are to do anything further with that quincy or the contents of that barrel," said a deep, commanding voice.

Mayuri turned, preparing to unleash a seething retort, but found himself under the dark gazes of the sixth division taichou and the newly confirmed Shiba heir.

"What're you up to, you freak?" Ichigo asked, scowling warningly, "I know that your soutaichou ordered all quincy bodies destroyed and all of the living were locked up in Muken."

"We have been sent to retrieve this unregistered quincy and to confiscate any research you have done, by order of Central 46," Byakuya added

"This is preposterous!" Mayuri railed, moving forward and slamming a hand down on the barrel.

He started to say more, but paused, staring as the barrel rumbled fitfully under his palm and the reiatsu around them began to rise swiftly.

"You ignorant _fools_! Now look what you've done!" Mayuri said scathingly, flash stepping away alongside Nemu, "Get out before it...!"

The rest of his words were drowned out as the barrel rumbled again so hard that it rattled against the floor, then exploded. Ichigo caught a flash image of a barely visible male form and the fierce rise of another reiatsu as a huge wall of ice rose up against the swelling eruption of reiatsu, fire and debris. He wrapped an arm around Byakuya's slender waist, taking the two of them to the floor and under cover as the ice wall shattered, and the person behind it was thrown back violently, then swallowed up by the reiatsu and flame.

A second heavy eruption nearly tore Byakuya from his grasp and sent the two tumbling out of control, then sent debris flying at them. A flash of pink petal blades deflected the incoming projectiles, then flickered and disappeared. Ichigo found his singed body collapsed partially on top of Byakuya's better protected, but now unconscious form.

"Byakuya! Byakuya, are you okay?" the shinigami substitute cried, leaning over the motionless taichou and patting his face gently, "Hey, Byakuya!"

He verified swiftly that the noble had a steady pulse and that he was breathing, then lifted him carefully and began to work his way cautiously forward. Small fires burned all around him, the smoke making him cough and blink his stinging eyes as he carried the unconscious taichou towards an area that looked less damaged. He emerged through a broken section of wall just as a flurry of flash steps sounded and a group of shinigamis arrived.

"Renji!" Ichigo called, picking out the tall redhead in the group.

"Taichou!" Renji yelled, flash stepping to Ichigo as the Shiba heir laid the noble on the ground, and Byakuya stirred and groaned, "Taichou, are you okay?"

"F-fine...I am all right," Byakuya whispered unsteadily.

"I'm not so sure about that," Ichigo said, smiling down at his battered friend, "You got knocked around a bit."

"I'll be fine," Byakuya said stubbornly.

He grabbed Renji's sleeve and glared up at his fukutaichou.

"Renji, my cousin is inside."

"Your cousin?" Renji queried, frowning.

"H-he is my bodyguard and healer. His name is Tetsuya. He protected Ichigo and me from the explosion."

"Are you sure he's still gonna be alive?" Ichigo asked, remembering the nearly invisible form that had protected them, "He took that blast head on. He disappeared into it."

"He used a waterform."

"A waterform?" Renji repeated curiously.

"He was in a waterform, an almost invisible copy of himself. He uses them frequently to shadow me. He may have been injured in the explosion, but he probably had a waterform nearby to shift into so that he could escape the worst of the blast, but then still be close enough to evacuate me. I need you to find him."

"That's going to be impossible," Mayuri's mocking voice snapped, "Even if he did survive the initial blast, that area is unstable. It could all come down at any time. Sending anyone in there before it's stabilized is going to just going to make more victims."

The building behind him groaned ominously, as though to punctuate the words.

"I can't leave him in there," Byakuya insisted, trying to sit up, only to be pushed gently down again by Ichigo.

"You're hurt," the Shiba heir scolded him affectionately, "Stay down and let me take care of it."

"Well, don't blame me if you die in there...although, I would _love_ to examine your corpse if you do die, so don't stop on my account," Mayuri snickered.

"Stay here," Ichigo repeated, "I'll go and find your cousin, okay?"

"I think you should stay with Taichou until the healers get here," Renji suggested, "You do that and I'll go in and look for Tetsuya."

"You shouldn't go in there alone," Ichigo objected, "It's really unstable!"

"Heh, _you're_ the one who's unstable," Renji chuckled dismissively, "Just shut up and take care of Taichou, okay? Zabimaru can protect me if the building comes down."

"They'll still have to take hours to dig you out," Ichigo said, scowling, "Just be careful, okay?"

With another unconcerned chuckle, Renji flash stepped forward, then paused and carefully picked out a path into the damaged section of the twelfth division laboratory. He skirted around piles of smoking debris, flash stepping to avoid more that fell from above or that shifted suddenly around him. The smoke still stung his eyes and throat, but had dissipated enough to allow him to peer into the areas around him and search for the missing noble. Ominous creaks and groans issued around him, and he heard panicked voices in the distance. After a bit of searching, Renji paused and took a sip of water, then moved forward again. A metallic shriek sounded above him and he flash stepped wildly to avoid that falling debris, then tripped and tumbled forward, landing almost on top of a collapsed person half buried in a pile of broken boards and tumbled rock.

"Crap!" he muttered, starting to turn towards the unconscious person.

A sound of dismay escaped him as more creaks and groans sounded, then the remaining hulk of wood, metal and rock began to tumble down on them.

"Bankai!" the redhead shouted, making the hulking body of his skeletal snake wrap around the two of them, protecting them as the rest of the building collapsed.

He coughed several times on the soot and dust that seeped into the protected area, then settled and turned his attention to the collapsed shinigami he had found.

"Ugh!" he muttered, grimacing at the gooey muck that was splashed all over the young man's skin, "I don't think I wanna know what that stuff is. I hope it's not one of his creepy poisons, cause it's all over me now, too. I hope you appreciate this," he went on, pulling the shingami free and briefly examining the man's bruised and smudged, but still very lovely face.

He searched the unconscious man's body for serious wounds and found none, so turned his attention to cleaning some of the sticky muck off their skin. He removed a washcloth from a small pack he carried and dampened it with water from his flask, then he used it to clean and cool his unconscious charge's face. The young man stirred and groaned unhappily, his eyes cracking open and freezing Renji for a moment with how large, blue and completely enchanting they were.

"You've gotta be the cousin Taichou was talking about right?" Renji surmised, "You're Kuchiki Tetsuya?"

"Yes," the blue-eyed man confirmed, sitting up slowly, then reeling and leaning heavily against Renji's kneeling form, "S-sorry!"

"It's okay," Renji said amiably, "Looks like you got knocked for a loop."

"I'll be fine," Tetsuya answered, trying to straighten slightly, then flinching and clenching his teeth as his hand sought his midsection.

"I think you might have cracked a couple of ribs," Renji said, easing him down onto his back again, then beginning to infuse the area with healing reiatsu, "Don't try to get up again, all right?"

"Hmmm," the noble managed, nodding briefly, "It's not like I could go anywhere."

He looked around and frowned at the serpentine body that enclosed them.

"This your snake. Zabimaru."

"Yeah," Renji confirmed, following the path of the other man's eyes, then smiling as Tetsuya's blue eyes found him again, "The building gave way, so we're under a pile of crap and probably will be for a bit while they dig us out. Unless...Taichou said you use waterforms. Could you get us out of here?"

"Unfortunately, my waterforms must be set in advance," Tetsuya explained, "But the concussion from the explosion shattered all but the one I used to escape death. I am afraid we will have to wait."

"That's a pain in the ass," the redhead commented, shaking his head, "but it doesn't look like you're hurt too bad and I'm fine, so we can just wait it out. And I have to admit I'm pretty curious. Are you the person I've sometimes sensed around Taichou? I think I might have seen you once or something."

"I'm not meant to be seen," Tetsuya answered, "It gives me the element of surprise if my protection is ever needed by Byakuya-sama."

"Well, that makes sense. So, you use waterforms as cover? They hide you?"

"I use the waterforms for moving about with stealth," Tetsuya went on, "But they are also useful when set on the battlefield. I can shift between them to position myself to attack, or to escape injury."

"Doesn't look like you completely escaped injury this time," Renji chuckled.

"I can escape without injury if hit once," the noble explained, "But if hit twice in quick succession or with a concussive blast that strikes in a sudden, sustained burst of power, I will be damaged even if I do escape into another waterform. It is a complex power."

"Looks like you couldn't escape the gunk you got covered with either," Renji said, smiling and wiping more of the mess from Tetsuya's pale throat and partially bared shoulder.

He started to go on, then realized all at once that Tetsuya was blushing.

"Sorry," Renji said, handing the washcloth to the noble, then sitting down in front of him as he continued to wash the offending fluid away.

"It's fine," Tetsuya assured him, "I am just...not used to being touched by anyone but Byakuya-sama, by my attendant, or our clan healer."

"Sorry," the redhead said again.

"You were just being kind," Tetsuya said, smiling back at him, "And you were probably honoring my leader's request for you to find and evacuate me, ne?"

"Yeah, he did ask me to come after you," Renji confirmed.

"Was he hurt?" Tetsuya asked, looking concerned.

"He was out cold for a little bit, but he's okay," the redhead answered, feeling a warmth inside at the concern in the young noble's pretty eyes.

"That's good," Tetsuya sighed, relaxing slightly, "Thank you, Abarai-san, both for protecting me and for the reassurance."

"No problem."

Tetsuya studied himself unhappily for a moment, then concluded he probably couldn't remove any more of the fluid that had splashed onto him, and he set the washcloth down. He tried to think of something to say to the redhead, but found his mind suddenly blank. The redhead, too, seemed somewhat at a loss for words.

"You got a deck of cards?" Renji joked, making Tetsuya smile shyly again.

"No, I am afraid not," the noble replied, the blush on his face deepening.

"I guess we'll just have to entertain ourselves," Renji sighed, smirking, "Know any good show tunes?"

"Not really, no. It's all right, Abarai-san, you don't need to..."

"My name's Renji," the redhead corrected him affably, "and I feel like we should already be a little familiar with each other, because we both protect Taichou. Just relax a little, okay? We're gonna be here for a while."

"So it seems," Tetsuya agreed.

"Sorry I don't have a pack or anything to use as a pillow, but you can lean against me if it's more comfortable."

"I don't want to impose," Tetsuya said, the blush returning to his face and throat.

"Well, everything else around here is hard as a rock, so you won't be able to rest probably," the redhead replied, biting at his lips as he realized what he had said.

He was tactful enough not to exacerbate the situation by apologizing.

"Come here," he offered, slipping an arm carefully around the injured noble and coaxing Tetsuya into leaning against his side, and resting his head wearily on the redhead's shoulder.

He slid his hand down and continued to infuse Tetsuya's damaged ribs with healing reiatsu. The noble remained slightly stiffened for a few moments, then relaxed, lulled by the redhead's warmth and pleasant, masculine scent. Renji found himself likewise attracted to the lightly mingled scents of sakura and leather that lingered around Tetsuya's tumbled waves of black hair and partially hidden face. Not one to usually spend much time holding still or being quiet, Renji began to nod off, and soon he and the exhausted noble were asleep.

Outside the collapsed building, a large team of shinigamis worked tirelessly, digging their way through the tangle of cracked and broken boards, pieces of tables, chairs and computer equipment and tumbles of stone and shattered glass. They honed in on the steady throb of Renji's reiatsu that held Zabimaru's snake form around the trapped fukutaichou, while within the snake's coil, something odd began to happen.

Flickers of strange white light rose on Tetsuya's resting form, emerging from the traces of the quincy's secretion that remained on his skin. Likewise, where Renji had come into contact with the fluid, his flesh glinted and pulsated, the flashes of light falling into the cadence of each man's heart and altering them until the two were paced together. Their eyes opened, but remained unfocused and blank as Tetsuya's head turned and his lips were claimed roughly by the senseless redhead's. Their hands hastily worked to loosen their clothing, then strong, tattooed arm dragged Tetsuya onto Renji's lap.

Renji's amorous mouth swallowed the cry of pain the noble made as his body was claimed, then not waiting, the two gave in to the overwhelming urge to seek completion. Clenching at the redhead's shoulders, Tetsuya's body rose and fell and he emitted heated moans and sighs that were immediately and luxuriantly consumed by the other man as the two writhed against each other. One of Renji's hands wrapped around the noble's white back, encouraging the continuation of his powerful undulating movements, while the fingers of his other hand sank into Tetsuya's silken black hair, the softness of it making the redhead's heart pound wildly. Their mouths bit almost violently at each other as the pleasant friction between them brought them to the edges of bliss.

Groans of intense pleasure filled the small, protected space the two occupied as hot seed erupted onto their bodies and Renji's scathing heat filled Tetsuya. They remained joined and resting against each other until sleep overtook them again and they collapsed into a tangled heap.

Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath as he woke some time later to find the redhead still asleep on top of him. His face pale and his eyes wide, he extracted himself carefully, then sat for a moment, panting with shock and watching Renji closely. The redhead remained in a deep sleep, seemingly oblivious.

_I don't know how this happened! I wonder if he does._

Swallowing hard, the noble set his clothing back in place, then moved to Renji's side and tried to rouse him. The redhead snorted in his sleep, but failed to respond.

_What should I do?_

He considered for several minutes, then moved forward and cleaned away the traces of their unplanned joining. He fastened Renji's cloths back in place, then withdrew to the far side of the protected area, watching as the redhead snored and turned uncomfortably on the hard floor. When his eyes finally opened, they looked around for Tetsuya and found him sitting on the other side of the enclosure.

"What are you doing all of the way over there?" Renji asked, smiling at him, "Were you scared away by my snoring?"

"No," Tetsuya answered tentatively, "I am just...uncomfortable in close spaces."

_He doesn't remember what happened either?_

"Yeah, I don't like them much either," the redhead agreed, "And even if not, they'd better get me out of here. I have a date tonight."

_That's right. When I investigated Abarai-san, I did find that he is popular and doesn't commit himself to anyone. If anything does come of...of what happened because of my being a breeder, I doubt that he would be interested in finding himself encumbered with a permanent partner and a family._

_I will just hope that I don't conceive._

_I don't know if I can after my injury and losing Naoki's baby before. It's probably fine, and there is no reason to say anything. Obviously, we weren't in control of ourselves, but we seem fine now. I will just see Michio when I get home to be sure._

"You okay?" Renji asked suddenly, stealing Tetsuya out of his thoughts.

"I am fine," he assured the redhead, "And I am grateful to you for rescuing me, Abarai-san. I couldn't have protected myself from the collapsing building while I was trapped. I would have been crushed."

"Naw, you would've found a way to survive," Renji laughed, "Taichou wouldn't entrust himself to you if you weren't savvy enough to do that."

_He has that same loving kindness as Naoki, but he is relaxed in a way that Naoki couldn't be, because of us being locked up in the prison._

"Hey, I think I hear something."

_It's probably better that he doesn't suspect anything happened. He seems quite content with his life as it is._

"Renji!" called a familiar male voice, "You okay down there?"

"I'm fine!" Renji called back, "But I'd be a hell of a lot better if you guys would give us a hand outta here!"

"You found Tetsuya?" called Byakuya's deeper voice.

"Yeah, he's okay. We're both fine," the redhead said, standing and sealing his power.

Tetsuya came to his feet, watching silently as the great snake retracted, then gazing upward to where stars lit the dark sky overhead and black forms surrounded the edges of the opening their rescuers had made for them.

"Tetsuya," Byakuya sighed in relief at seeing his cousin, "I am glad you are all right."

"I am glad you are all right too, watashi no itoko," Tetsuya responded wearily, "I want to go home."

"You should be able to escape now," Byakuya said, extending a hand and waiting as Tetsuya backed up slightly, then engaged his flash step, carrying him upward to where the clan leader the clan leader helped him scramble to safety, while behind him, Renji positioned himself, then followed behind him. They stood at the top, looking back down in the place they had been trapped.

"Thank you, Abarai-san," Tetsuya said, smiling at the redhead, "I know I said it before, but I really am grateful to you for rescuing me."

"I appreciate you doing that as well," Byakuya added, "But why don't you go on now. I know you had plans for tonight."

"But there's going to be a debriefing and reports, and..."

"Go, Renji," Byakuya snapped sternly, "I will see to it."

"I think you'd better do what he says," Ichigo laughed, earning a soft glare out of the corner of the clan leader's dark eye, "He looks pretty serious."

"Are you really all right, Tetsuya?" Byakuya asked, still sounding concerned.

"I am fine," Tetsuya assured him, "And I will see the clan leader as soon as we arrive at the manor."

He climbed onto the back of a tall black stallion that had appeared near them and watched as Renji disappeared into the distance.

_Why do I feel so very warm inside..._

_Yet my heart feels like ice?_


	2. Wandering

**Chapter 2: Wandering**

**(Whew! What a challenging last few days it's been. So much going on in RL, but there are chapters coming, I promise! Thanks a million to everyone sticking with me and continuing to review and support me even through the latest stupid FF malfunctions. *sighs* Oh well, I won't get started. Anyway, chapters of lots of Renji stories are in progress and on the way very soon. Love you all, Spunky)**

"O-oh!" Hisagi Shuuhei panted, tilting his head back and raising his hips to encourage the continuance of his red haired lover's intense exploration of his nether region, "R-renji...so...so good!"

Enthusiastic fingers added to the sinful pleasure that Renji's devouring mouth was causing and sent his handsome comrade's mind into a dizzying spin as he climaxed violently. And before he could recover even slightly, the pleasure deepened into near madness as he was flipped onto his belly and invaded from behind for a barrage of heavy, deep thrusts that left him bereft of speech and even thought as the two collapsed together. For a time, only their recovering breaths sounded, then Renji gave his lover a little kiss on the forehead, grinning at his contented expression.

"You good now?" Renji chuckled, "Not bothered about that bullshit from before?"

"What bullshit from when?" Hisagi snickered, nipping at the redhead's lips and setting off a sleepy exchange of wet, finishing kisses, "I forgot."

"Good."

Renji slipped out of the bed and wrapped his yukata around his lanky body, turning towards the kitchen. Hisagi watched as he left the room, then looked out the window at the stars, thinking quietly as he waited for his friend to return.

_How am I supposed to tell him?_

_I hope he's not mad._

When the redhead re-entered the room, he quickly read the change in his comrade's eyes and frowned slightly.

"Uh-oh, you remembering that bullshit from before already? Do I need to distract you some more?"

"Naw, I wasn't thinking about that," Hisagi said, accepting a glass of icy water from the redhead and sighing happily as he slaked his thirst, "There's just something I need to talk to you about and I hope you won't be angry about it."

"Angry about what?"

Renji sat down on the bed and Hisagi curled comfortably into his arms, surrendering to several more long, open-mouthed kisses before taking a steadying breath and going on.

"I was talking to Kira yesterday...you know, about everything."

"Yeah?" Renji urged him, smiling knowingly, "So, what's happening there?"

"Ah, well, you know the situation with the quincies had us looking back at everything a little differently and thinking about it, I've been worrying a lot about losing him again."

"Hmmm," Renji sighed, nuzzling into the other man's shoulder and breathing in his warm, masculine scent, "So, you want to settle down?"

Hisagi hesitated and shrugged.

"It's not a bad idea," he reasoned, "We found a really great house to settle down in...and Kotetsu fukutaichou put us in touch with someone who might be able to help us have a baby of our own!"

"What? Really? How's that?" Renji asked curiously.

"Well, she was saying that a long time ago, and Kira assured me it's true, that in the first attack by the quincies a thousand years ago, many of the noble women and children had been killed. Then, this scientist told the noble's council he could alter some of the males so that they could get pregnant!"

"What? You're kidding me, right?" Renji laughed.

"No! No bullshit," Hisagi assured him, "There used to be a lot of them. But after a while, they weren't needed for that anymore, and the noble's council finally voted to end the practice and let these male 'breeders' die out naturally. There was some scandal about some noble purists killing a lot of them and there are only a few left, but Isane-san says that she may be able to find one who can help or that maybe Urahara Kisuke can do something to help us if she can't."

"Wow!" Renji said, grinning, "That's something. You sound like you're really ready to do this."

"Yeah," Hisagi affirmed, blushing, "I just didn't know how to talk to you about it, since we've been having so much fun together. But, you know, I don't mind so much the idea of an exclusive. I feel like I've found the right person. I'm really excited about this. I hope you're not mad."

"Mad?" Renji chuckled, giving him a long, warm wet kiss, "Why would I be mad? You're happy, right? Kira's happy. I'll miss this, sure. But I told you when we got involved that I wouldn't be jealous. We didn't have much time for jealously, down in the lower Rukon, you know? Relationships didn't last very long, mostly, so what was the use of being serious? It's different, here in the Seireitei, of course, but this crap with the quincies only reminded me that nothing's guaranteed."

"Hey, it's not all that bad," Hisagi said, lacing their fingers together.

"No," Renji agreed, "not all of it."

"Is it because of that girl you told me about...the one that was pregnant with your kid and...?"

"Yeah, kinda, I suppose," Renji sighed, "But that was a long time ago. I'm not making that mistake again. Still, I'm glad for you and Kira."

"You are?"

"Yeah, just because I don't want to be exclusive doesn't mean I can't be happy for my friends who are."

"You'll have plenty of company, even without me," Hisagi laughed softly, "I saw that hottie you were dancing with the other night, that guy from Squad Three."

"Hiromi?" Renji asked, smiling, "He's adorable. A little shy, but there's nothing wrong with that."

"And there's always Yumi and Ikkaku..."

"Hey," Renji laughed, "You don't need to worry about it. I'm good. I don't need help with my love life! I'm happy the way I am."

"I know. I was just worried."

"Well, don't be."

"You want to be our best man?" Hisagi asked, making the redhead pause and then laugh nervously.

"You sure Kira wants that? I know he wasn't thrilled you were still sleeping with me sometimes. I don't want to make trouble."

"You won't be making trouble," Hisagi assured him, "What better way to show you're okay with this than to be a part of it? And who knows, maybe if you see how happy we are, you'll change your mind and want a family for yourself."

"Asshole!" Renji laughed playfully, "I told you, I don't need fixing!"

He gave his friend a long parting kiss and left him lying on the rumpled bedding.

"You take care, all right? Call me and let me know what I need to do for the wedding."

"I will."

Renji left the apartment and started back towards his own, then paused to think for a moment and instead, took the stairs leading down to the first floor, where he exited the building and walked out into the pre-dawn chill. The stars still commanded the black sky overhead and he stood looking up into them for a while, his mind returning to the lower Rukongai and a time he would rather forget.

_"What did you want to tell me, Tsuru?"_

_He smiled at the pretty blush on the blue-eyed woman's face as she grinned up at him._

_"The healer was in town today. Renji-san, he said that I'm going to have a baby!"_

The redhead shoved the memory away quickly and turned towards the nearby pub.

_Not going back there._

_What's the good in doing something like that?_

XXXXXXXXXX

_Master, are you sure that you're all right? Your reiatsu seems weak._

"I'm just tired," Tetsuya assured the stallion, patting him on the neck and smiling, "Go on, now. Makoto's got a nice warm mash for you to enjoy, and I am off for home as soon as I check one more area."

_Shouldn't I go with you?_

"Get out of here, will you?" Tetsuya chided the tall Arabian, swatting him affectionately on the rump, "That means I want to be alone for a little while, baka!"

_I'd say you were rude, but that mash sounds wonderful._

"Go enjoy it, then. I'll be back in a bit."

He watched as Arashi galloped away, then turned his attention to the reiatsu traces he had been following. He continued along the path and out of the manor grounds, onto a rural street, then into town. He paused in a little park, looking around, but finding no more hints of the hollow he had sensed before.

"Well, whatever it was, it is no more concern," he sighed sleepily, "Best start for home."

He started to turn back, but stopped and inhaled in surprise as a shooting star blazed across the sky.

_"What was that, Naoki?" he asked breathlessly, staring up at the sky and blinking._

_"Oh! It's very lucky!" Naoki exclaimed, slipping an arm around Tetsuya's slim waist and pulling him close, "It's a shooting star. You make a wish on it, and your wish will come true."_

_"Oh," Tetsuya said, his smile fading._

_"What is it?" Naoki asked, giving him a little kiss on his unhappy lips._

_"I missed it. I didn't get to wish for anything," Tetsuya said sadly._

_"That's all right," Naoki said brightly, "I wished for both of us."_

_"You did?"_

_"Mmhmm," Naoki affirmed, "I wished that Byakuya-sama would rescue us, and that we could go and live in a little house of our own and raise this baby together._

_"How did you have time to wish all of that before it went out? Will it all come true?"_

_"Shh, don't worry," Naoki whispered into his ear, one hand sliding down to caress the small bump on his abdomen, "Our dreams will come true, Tetsuya...soon."_

"Naoki..." Tetsuya whispered, shivering and feeling an odd chill pass through his aching heart.

The iciness seemed to billow in the air around him, leaving him in a fog that seemed to hover both outside and inside his reeling body. He blinked to clear his vision, but the air around him only seemed more hazed and confusing.

_Arashi?_

Strangely, his ears buzzed too loudly to hear whether or not his thought had reached the stallion. His heart pounded and panic began to assault his mind as numbness slowly crept over him and his legs weakened beneath him. He started to collapse completely, then felt himself swept off his feet and into strong, protective arms.

"Tetsuya-san?"

At the other man's touch, Tetsuya's mind was thrown violently into blackness, where he floated for a time before falling into a dream state.

_He woke to find himself lying in a hospital bed in the fourth division, looking up into the concerned faces of Unohana taichou and his elder teen cousin._

_"Tetsuya-san," the healer said apologetically, "I am so very sorry, but the damage to your body was extreme. I was not able to save your child."_

_"N-no!" he gasped, tears flooding his eyes._

_"And I must caution you very strongly that having future children could be dangerous for you."_

_"No, stop, please! I don't...!"_

_"The damage was close to where your spirit core and the spirit chamber lie within you. I healed the area as best I could, but the two were pushed closer to each other, so having another child could cause the spirit chamber to impact your reiatsu flow."_

_"Why did you do this?" Tetsuya howled senselessly, "If one of us had to die, it should have been me! Why would you...?"_

_"Shh," Byakuya said soothingly, curling an arm around him and holding him tightly, "You are going to be all right, watashi no itoko. I know your body is damaged and your heart is broken, but you are going to be all right, I promise you."_

"I'm going to take you to the fourth," Renji's voice said, leaking into Tetsuya's overwhelmed mind, "They'll have a look at you and see what's going on, okay?"

"No!" Tetsuya screamed, struggling, "N-not there! I don't want to go there, please!"

"Okay! Okay, fine," the redhead said, backpedaling quickly, "No healing center then. My place is close. But I'll have my buddy, Hanatarou look at you, all right?"

Tetsuya nodded wordlessly, relaxing slightly and burying his face in Renji's shoulder as the sixth division fukutaichou carried him back to the apartment complex and into the elevator.

"You can let me down. I think I will be fine now," Tetsuya offered.

But as soon as his feet touched the ground, the feeling of weakness invaded again, and by the time they reached the redhead's apartment, the noble was barely conscious.

"Man, I really think we should have gone to the fourth," Renji sighed, laying Tetsuya in his bed, then walking down the hall to the healer's apartment.

He tapped on the door and waited as movement sounded within, then footsteps approached the door. The door opened and Hanatarou's sleepy eyes met Renji's.

"Ah, Abarai-san," the healer greeted him, "Is something wrong?"

"Sorry to bug you so late at night," Renji apologized, "but Taichou's cousin is at my place. He's having some kinda dizzy spells. He's not making much sense, but he wouldn't let me take him to the fourth. Can you have a look at him?"

"Sure," Hanatarou yawned, leaving his apartment and locking the door behind him.

He ran his fingers through his tousled hair and yawned again, "No problem. Did you say it's Kuchiki taichou's cousin? Tetsuya-san?"

"You know him?"

"Mmhmm," the healer affirmed, "He hates hospitals...closed in spaces. When we need to see him, usually we go to Kuchiki Manor."

"Sounds like me when it comes to needles," Renji chuckled.

"It's a little more complicated, but yeah," Hanatarou agreed, approaching the bed and studying the barely conscious noble for a moment, "Tetsuya-san? Renji-san tells me you were having dizzy spells? Are you having one now?"

Tetsuya's eyes moved to meet his and he managed a short nod.

"I feel sick to my stomach," he added, groaning uncomfortably.

"Your reitsu is low," the healer noted, starting an infusion, "Has it been this way for long?"

"I don't know," the noble confessed, "I thought I was fine, but I've been a little off since the incident at the twelfth division."

"Mmmm, you were touched by some of that quincy's secretion that exploded, ne?"

"Yes, but they said since the explosion had already occurred, there was no danger of further problems, and I was thoroughly washed and scanned after. The healers agreed I was fine, but for lower than normal reiatsu. But that is..."

"...kind of normal after a disruptive event," Hanatarou finished, checking the noble's vital signs and looking briefly into his eyes and ears, "Are you having any other symptoms?"

"My cravings for sweet frozen things seems more insistent lately," Tetsuya confessed.

Hanatarou looked from Tetsuya to Renji and back again.

"Renji-san, could you go and find my other medical bag? I have something that may help to settle Tetsuya-san's stomach and make him more comfortable."

"Sure, no problem," Renji said, good-naturedly.

Hanatarou waited until the redhead had left, then returned his gaze to meet Tetsuya's.

"I thought you might want privacy for my next question," Hanatarou said meaningfully, "Unohana taichou informed me about your breeder status before her death, so I must ask, is there any reason to think you might be pregnant?"

Tetsuya hesitated, swallowing hard as he remembered the signs of his coitus with the sixth division fukutaichou, then shook his head.

"No," he lied, "I haven't been with anyone."

_I don't want to think about that. The elders would be livid at me because they want it to be believed that there are no more breeders in our family. Byakuya-sama too has been made to keep his status a secret. And then, there's the fact that Byakuya-sama might find the risk to me unacceptable. He already saved my life once at the cost of the life of my child._

_If I am pregnant, I have to think of something to do. But maybe it isn't that. Maybe it's just stress or illness...perhaps some effect from that quincy's secretion. There are lots of things it could be._

_It doesn't have to be that._

_But if it is..._

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stood quietly beneath his favorite sakura tree, looking up into the starry, moonlit sky that spread out over the splashing waterfall and grassy meadow at the bottom of the cliff in front of him. His sword arm still resonated slightly where the Shiba heir had touched him as they had prepared to part after having dinner together.

_"I know we have to keep things proper," Ichigo whispered into his ear, "but I want to talk to you alone. Can we do that?"_

_Byakuya smiled and breathed a few words in return._

_"By the waterfall at midnight."_

He tried to remain calm, but his heart flickered as he sensed another reiatsu approaching him from behind. He let out a slightly piqued breath a moment later as Arashi's head poked out of the bushes and the stallion nickered in greeting.

"Arashi," the clan leader acknowledged, "and is Tetsuya with you?"

_No. He said that he wanted to be alone for a while. Byakuya-sama, I am worried. His reiatsu didn't feel right to me._

"Can you sense him now?"

_Enough to know he is not in immediate danger, but he is keeping his thoughts to himself. He has been doing that a lot lately._

"I will speak to him when he returns to the manor. Go on and rest."

_Very well. Goodnight, Byakuya-sama._

Byakuya watched the stallion leave, then started to turn back to look at the stars. To his surprise a warm, strong pair of arms wrapped suddenly around him and he found himself face to face with the man he had been waiting for.

"So, am I late or are you early?" Ichigo chuckled.

"Your reiatsu control is getting better," Byakuya complimented him, "I didn't sense you that time."

"You were distracted," Ichigo pointed out, "Is everything okay? Arashi looked like something was bugging him."

"Everything is fine," the Kuchiki heir assured him, "But you said that you needed to speak to me alone? You...have something to say to me?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, tightening his hold on Byakuya, "This..."

Byakuya's eyes closed reflexively and he felt a sensation in his belly like falling as the Shiba heir's lips claimed his. It seemed to go on endlessly, both the warm, pleasant pressure on his mouth and the feeling of falling into a deep, tranquil abyss he never wanted to escape. He could have cried when their lips finally parted, but he held perfectly still, looking quietly through the midnight strands that had trickled down onto his face and waiting.

"Well, you didn't do anything painful," Ichigo laughed nervously, "So, can I assume that was okay with you?"

"You may," Byakuya said, the hint of a smile touching his still resonating lips.

"I know it's gonna make trouble."

"More than you might suspect," Byakuya agreed, "However, I am willing to endure the trouble if you are."

Ichigo started to give an enthusiastic answer, but was halted in his tracks by two petal-soft fingers that touched his lips stayingly.

"You must understand, there is something I haven't told you that may affect your decision."

"Nothing's going to change my mind, Byakuya. I know they want heirs, but whatever we've got to do to be together, I just want us to be that way."

"And what if _that way_ is by one of the two of us carrying the child?" Byakuya asked quietly, "What will your decision be then, Ichigo?"


	3. Bonds

**Chapter 3: Bonds**

**(Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! My gratitude to Parnita (Oh, you will enjoy this chapter then!), Eva Galana (Ah yes, Renji has a huge heart and is so friendly, he's got to be Soul Society's official 'Everyone's best friend!' And he'll find a friend in shy Tetsuya, who will continue to be nudged in Renji's direction by circumstance, fate and Spunky's wicked machinations. There's a lot these two need to work out and amidst all of that, new trouble is looking for them! RL is in a rough patch still, but things appear to be brightening. And who wouldn't be cheered up as this starts off with some very tasty Ichi/Bya!), Alabirdie (Here's that update! I've been trying to find time to write it, as it's been bouncing around in my head for a while, but I have to steal time from sleep to write as daytimes have been egregiously busy!), Kittykins (You've got it! And more is coming along.), Winterheart2000 (That is coming soon!), No Name (Ah, Mayuri still has a role in this, and will reappear soon to bring a little twist to the story. I love writing him. He is funny and evil at the same time!), IrritatedBookworm (Oh, Mayuri will have someone pretty peeved with him when he does something, well, very Mayruri!), princessariellover876 (Thanks so much!) and Haikha (Oh yes! An Ichi/Bya mpreg is very much in the works!) Enjoy the chapter! Love you all, Spunky)**

"You look less surprised than I would have expected," Byakuya noted, frowning thoughtfully as the Shiba heir's lips sought his again, "Someone told you, then?"

Ichigo smiled as their lips collided, then parted. A hot, eager tongue slipped into Byakuya's mouth, exploring slowly, making the Kuchiki heir's eyes slide closed and his knees weaken.

"I want to kill those two," Byakuya whispered between kisses, "But in a way, I am relieved. That part of our history is not something the noble houses take pride in, Ichigo."

"That's what Yoruichi said," the Shiba heir agreed, pausing in their kissing and breathing in the cold night air, "She also told me about how that group formed and killed as many of the breeder males as they could."

Byakuya's eyes darkened and his heart throbbed painfully at the memory the Shiba Heir's words conjured.

"Some people never trusted the breeders. Despite having saved the noble houses from extinction, they were looked down on as lesser by the 'normal males' and felt to be a threat by many of the noble females. And once it was found that breeder males could bear other breeder males, scrutiny came over those they bore as well, leading to the kinds of atrocities that Tetsuya and his parents suffered."

"I don't get it," Ichigo sighed in disgust, "As far as I've heard, they never did anything wrong."

"One does not have to do anything wrong to instill fear in people, Ichigo. You know that well. Were you not the one who deduced that Aizen Sousuke went wrong because he was so powerful while still so young, and he couldn't understand why he wasn't accepted like everyone else?"

"Yeah," the Shiba heir agreed unhappily, "That's right."

A moment later, he brightened slightly.

"But this...what you've said...it means that you're one of these breeder males? Really?"

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, "Tetsuya and I are both breeder males. This is known to our council and it is something we have been asked to conceal about ourselves."

"You say _asked_," Ichigo noted, "Is that really how it is?"

"Officially, yes, but it is understood that the elders would not be beyond acting against us to cover it up, if it came out."

"So, what you're suggesting is that...well, if we were to get married, we'd have to lie about how our kids were born?"

"I suppose that is what it comes down to," Byakuya sighed, "but I don't wish to dwell on that so much. Given that, at least they are willing to work with me, I don't know if this is something I need to fight them over. And besides," the Kuchiki heir said, smirking and narrowing his eyes slightly, "We are only on our 'first date' and already you are assuming I would marry you. That is rather bold of you."

"Are you saying you wouldn't marry me if I asked you to?" Ichigo laughed, nipping at Byakuya's soft lips again and tightening his hold on the other man, "After all I've done for you, you'd turn me down? That's cold."

"It is what most would expect from me, is it not?" Byakuya said flippantly, earning another amused chuckle and a more alluring barrage of kisses from the Shiba heir.

"Yeah, well I'm not most people and neither are you. I don't mean to seem like I'm in a rush, but I think after what we've been through, it's not good to waste time, you know? We should enjoy every minute."

"Agreed," Byakuya sighed, closing his eyes and kissing the younger man more insistently.

"Then, you'll marry me and have our kids?" Ichigo asked, smirking.

"Is that an official request for my hand? Already?" Byakuya laughed.

"Uh-huh," Ichigo loosed breathlessly, bringing them onto their knees together.

"You don't know how to hold back in anything, do you, Shiba Ichigo?" the Kuchiki heir managed in a softer, reflective tone, "You never have."

"Nope. So, will you marry me and have my babies?"

"Tell me something, before I answer you," Byakuya said, looking into Ichigo's affectionate, golden-brown eyes, "Would you be willing to marry me and have mine if I asked you to?"

"Eh...wha...?"

"Ah," the Kuchiki heir laughed softly, "They didn't tell you that part, did they?"

"Uh...?"

"Breeder males are not relegated to only _carrying _a child, Ichigo."

"Oh, well..."

"I see," Byakuya said, eyeing him more skeptically, "It's fine, as long as I accept the more feminine role, ne?"

"I didn't say that!" the younger man objected, a scowl taking over his face, "You just surprised me. That's all."

"Then, you would...if I asked you to?" Byakuya queried.

Ichigo took a steadying breath and met his eyes squarely.

"Why not? You'd do it for me, wouldn't you?" he answered, a very slight shakiness in his voice.

"Without hesitation," Byakuya answered, giving him the hint of a smile, "But then, I've had a lifetime to dwell on that possibility. That you would consider such a thing so readily..."

"I love you," Ichigo insisted, holding him almost painfully tightly and breathing in his warm, sweet scent, "I almost killed you once and I almost watched you die at the hands of the quincies. You aren't getting away from me this time!"

"I am not running from you, fool!" Byakuya managed, just before having his breath stolen by a scathing kiss that ended with the two lying in a soft fall of sakura blossoms.

Ichigo gave the panting Kuchiki heir a charming grin.

"So, are we making those babies now?" he chuckled.

"I would never have a child out of wedlock. That would be scandalous!" Byakuya scolded him.

"Then what was all that talk about me being willing to have a baby?"

Byakuya's small smile faded and his eyes met Ichigo's wearily.

"I apologize for asking you that. It wasn't a fair question, considering you only just learned about the breeders."

"Then, why did you ask?" Ichigo mused, frowning, "Did you really think I wouldn't?"

"It isn't that," Byakuya corrected him, "I just needed to know that, should I one day have our children, you wouldn't look down on me for it."

"What?" Ichigo asked, looking offended, "You really think I'd do that?"

"No," Byakuya answered, seeking his lips again, "And that is why I am not letting you go either!"

The two fell quiet, their mouths fastened tightly together, breaths shortening and their hearts quickening. Ichigo's impatient hands loosened and peeled away their clothing, and he laid on top of Byakuya, enjoying the feel of that soft, warm skin touching his, the scorching heat in the Kuchiki heir's narrowed eyes and the tickling throbs of arousal that assaulted his senses.

"So, do we have to do something to _not_ have those babies out of wedlock?"

"The ability is controlled by my will, like any other ability," Byakuya explained, "As long as I am 'in my right mind' and will to restrain it, the ability will not activate."

"Are you sure?" Ichigo laughed nervously, "because I don't know if I'm ready for fatherhood just yet."

Byakuya gave him a look that nearly melted him instantly.

"You will be a wonderful father...when the time comes," the Kuchiki heir assured him.

Before the stunned Shiba heir could answer, Byakuya's mouth claimed his roughly, and the Kuchiki heir's insistent hands wrapped around his bottom, encouraging him as they rubbed their aroused lengths together. A voracious moan escaped Byakuya's parted lips as Ichigo's fingers carefully prepared him, then in slow, deliberate thrusts, their bodies joined. Their panting breaths and low groans of pleasure mingled with the pleasant rush of the waterfall and their leaking reiatsu warmed their environs with a soft, white glow. Their movements intensified and their reiatsu flared, sending a breeze through the area and over them as rising pleasure gave way to the gripping pulses of orgasm. Byakuya gasped as sudden heat blazed inside him, then closed his eyes as his own body loosed itself onto their skin. leaving the two humming with life and unable to move for a time.

"You sure you won't get pregnant?" Ichigo chuckled, "After something like that..."

"Are you afraid?" Byakuya teased him.

"Yeah, kinda."

"Good."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You sure he's going to be okay?" Renji asked, stealing a glance back at the sleeping noble in his bed, "He seemed pretty bad before."

"He'll be okay," Hanatarou assured the sixth division fukutaichou, "His reiatsu was just pretty depleted, but he was involved in that explosion at the twelfth, and he works really hard, running security at Kuchiki Manor and acting as Kuchiki taichou's bodyguard."

"Yeah, I suppose. Well, thanks for coming over."

"Sure thing. Any time," Hanatarou said cheerfully, stifling a sleepy yawn, "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Yeah, goodnight."

Renji watched as the healer left, then slipped out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where he found a few leftovers to nibble on, while he sat, looking out the window and letting his thoughts wander. When weariness finally took over, he returned to the bedroom to find Tetsuya still sleeping deeply.

"I'd ask permission to sleep next to you, but I don't think you'd wake up to be asked," the redhead yawned, "Don't worry, I don't bite...usually."

He loosed a soft chuckle and closed his eyes, relaxing into sleep and enjoying the sweet, attractive scent of the man lying on the other side of the bed. He rested quietly for a time, then found himself dreaming.

_A rush of wind through the trees cooled his face as he looked down at the patch of wildflowers he had found. Smiling, he bent to pick a handful, then, looking up, he spotted a tree with a few oranges still left on it. He ran quickly over and deprived the tree of the last of its crop, then turned towards home. He frowned slightly as the scent of smoke reached him, then felt a jolt of panic as he approached the place where a group of children stood huddled, staring in dismay at the collapsed shack that had been their home._

_"Rukia!" Renji yelled, dropping the flowers and fruit._

_He dashed to where the young woman sat, surrounded by several other girls, and coughing heavily._

_"Are you okay? What happened?"_

_"H-hollow attack!" Rukia managed, "Renji...Ts-tsuru!"_

_Numbness flooded his body as he surged to his feet and ran to the shack, joining several others who were digging frantically through the debris._

_"Tsuru!" he screamed in desperation, "Tsuru!"_

_He tore at the worn boards, ignoring the growing pain in his hands._

_"TSURU!"_

_The board under his hand broke and he pulled it away, then stared in horror at what laid beneath._

"Tsuru!" Renji sobbed, turning in his sleep and coming awake to find a pair of widened blue eyes looking fearfully into his.

Without thinking, he grabbed the other person in his bed, still half asleep and crying mindlessly as he kissed the person with desperation bordering on madness. A few moments later, reality began to return and Renji registered that the person in his arms had stiffened and was pushing against his chest, trying to escape his devouring lips.

"Oh fuck!" the redhead gasped, releasing the other man and hastily fastening his yukata back in place as the blue-eyed man did the same, "S-sorry!"

Tetsuya remained silent, only looking back at him wordlessly as the two gathered themselves.

"I'm _really, really_ sorry."

Tetsuya measured his words carefully.

"It must have been a very distressing dream," he surmised.

"Yeah."

The silence rang between them for several painfully long moments.

"I have to go home," Tetsuya said finally.

"Look, I'm sorry I offended you," Renji began.

"You didn't. You've been very kind," the noble assured him, "but I can see that this is a private matter. I don't want to intrude. This was, perhaps, a memory?"

"Wh...how did you know?" Renji asked, frowning curiously and wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Because when you woke, the nightmare didn't leave your eyes," Tetsuya explained, "One is able to 'wake up' from a dream, but there is no waking up from the past. A person reacts differently to the two."

"You sound like you've had your share of nightmares," Renji sighed, relaxing somewhat.

"Yes."

"Well, sorry again for scaring you awake like that."

"That is not the worst fright I have received," Tetsuya answered, blushing as he remembered the feel of that rough, insistent mouth that had, moments before, tried to devour his, "It's fine. Would you like some hot tea?"

"What are you saying?" Renji scolded him, finding himself smiling, "You're supposed to be resting, not getting up and making me tea. Lie down. I'll be fine. Let's just try to get some sleep, okay? I promise, no more stealth kisses."

Tetsuya paused, considering, then laid down again and curled around his pillow, closing his eyes.

"Wait a sec," Renji's voice said, making them open again, "What's this? What's going on?"

Tetsuya blinked in surprise as he registered the soft glow that had risen around their bodies. Familiarity registered, then disappeared swiftly.

"I'm sure it's nothing," he said dismissively as the gentle light faded, "We simply resonate because our souls share some level of compatibility, I suppose. It is probably because you kissed me."

"R-right," Renji said, shaking his head to clear it and lying down again, "That...was really weird."

"Are you sure I shouldn't go, Renji-san?" Tetsuya asked, "I am really fine now."

"Hey, Hanatarou told you to rest, so rest, all right?"

"Very well," Tetsiuya sighed, settling, "Good night, Renji-san."

"G'night," Renji yawned.

Tetsuya slowed his breathing and let himself drift off, but the warmth of the other man's kiss followed him well into sleep and still hadn't left when he woke before dawn and slipped away, his body once again bearing that soft, pleasant glow.


	4. Deal With the Devil

**Chapter 4: Deal With the Devil**

**(Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing! Be sure to check my profile for the new poll to decide the pairing for my 200th story! My gratitude to Eva Galana (Hmmm, a resonance? Could be...and they might not be the only ones glowing!) and Alabirdie (Aww, maybe some tears, but it'll be worth it!) Have a great day everyone! Love, Spunky)**

Renji grunted sleepily and opened an eye to check the clock as someone knocked on his apartment door.

"Who th'fuck but freaking _Taichou_ is up this early?" he yawned.

Turning slightly, he glanced at the place beside him where Tetsuya had been, but found the younger noble was gone.

"Ugh!" the redhead grumbled, staggering to his feet and running his fingers through the tumbled strands of his hair as he stumbled to the apartment door, "You forget something, beautiful?"

He opened the door to find his taichou looking back at him curiously.

"Oh! S-sorry, Taichou."

"I do not believe I left anything here, as I have not visited your home for some time, Abarai," Byakuya answered dryly, "I am looking for my cousin. I received word that he collapsed and you brought him here?"

"Y-yeah, I did," Renji answered, blinking to clear his eyes, "Hanatarou had a look at him and said that it must just be from when we were knocked around at the twelfth division. He...ah...Tetsuya-san slept here last night, but he was gone when you woke me up."

Byakuya quietly eyed the unmade bed for a moment, then turned an even more curious eye on his subordinate.

"Renji..."

"Oh!" the redhead exclaimed quickly, "Don't get the wrong idea. We didn't sleep together, Taichou! W-well, we did sleep in the same bed. But it's just because I only have one bed! And I didn't have sex with him, I promise. I wouldn't..."

"I am pleased to hear that."

"Huh..."

"Byakuya's frown deepened.

"Tetsuya has a troubled past and he hasn't seen anyone romantically since his rescue from the prison. He isn't like the more spirited and amorous people you _spend your time with_."

"I know that," Renji said, a flicker of anger in his tone, "I wouldn't disrespect Tetsuya-san or you by sleeping with him. I slept _next to him_ and nothing happened!"

A flare of memory nagged at the redhead and he swallowed hard, his heart pounding as Byakuya eyed him more closely.

"Okay, fine! I had a nightmare and I woke up kissing him, but it wasn't intentional and I apologized to him. I won't let it happen again! Really, Taichou. I was just trying to help the guy. I saw him pass out, caught him as he fell, actually, and I was just..."

"I understand. Do you know where Tetsuya went?" Byakuya asked, looking around the apartment.

"I was out cold. I've got no idea. He probably went home," Renji yawned, "I was just about to get dressed and go to the office. Do you want me to help you look for him?"

"That would be..."

Byakuya paused as a hell butterfly arrived.

_Kuchiki taichou, _said Kyouraku soutaichou's solemn voice, _We have received word from our allies in Hueco Mundo that a small cell of rogue quincies has been stealing supplies and appears to be planning attacks in the Seireitei. I need you and Abarai fukutaichou to meet with the hollow leaders Harribel and Grimmjow to discuss what they have learned. Find out what support they need from us and relay the request._

"Man, I hate that guy," Renji sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Renji, don't speak about Soutaichou that way," Byakuya chided him.

"I was talking about Grimmjow!" Renji objected, catching his superior's very slight smirk and breaking into a laugh.

Renji grabbed the cleaner of the two uniforms tossed over his sofa and hastily dressed, then flash stepped after Byakuya as they headed for the central senkaimon.

"What are you going to do about Tetsuya-san?" he asked in a concerned tone, "He seemed pretty shaky last night when Hanatarou examined him."

"Well, hopefully, he will check in with our clan healer this morning. As soon as we return, I will send for him and make sure he is all right."

"He's a really sweet person. I hope everything's okay."

"I am sure Tetsuya will be fine," Byakuya assured him, "Although he is quite innocent in some ways, he does know how to take care of himself. Come along, now. We need to get to Hueco Mundo before those quincies complete their plans and launch an attack."

"Right, Taichou!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya felt his cousin's reiatsu nearby and ducked behind a splashing fountain, invoking his shikai and watching as Byakuya entered the apartment building where Renji lived.

"Well, that could have been a bit awkward," he mused softly, smiling to himself and blushing slightly as he remembered the barrage of desperate kisses Renji had inflicted on him, "I don't want to think of what he would have thought to find me sleeping in his fukutaichou's bed with him. I think he wouldn't know who to kill first, Renji-san for taking advantage or me for letting him."

_But that's not really fair. Renji-san was wonderful to me. He is a kind, caring person, not at all how I would think someone who has as many romantic partners as he does would be. But...I suppose it has something to do with that person whose name he called out while he was holding on to me._

"Tsuru," he whispered, pausing and going very still as Byakuya emerged from Renji's building with his fukutaichou at his side and the two flash stepped away together.

He shook his head to clear it, then turned back towards Kuchiki Manor.

_Enough daydreaming. I need to get back to my duties._

He extended his senses, narrowing his eyes as he tried to link with his equine partner's mind and failed to do so.

_Arashi?_

He frowned at the lack of connection, but brushed it off easily.

_I am still out of sorts. I will see Michio when I get home._

He waited until Byakuya and Renji were no longer in sight, then emerged from his concealing waterform.

"Ah!" said a familiar male voice, "I thought that I might find you here, Kuchiki Tetsuya."

Tetsuya frowned, taking in the too pleased expression on the face of the twelfth division taichou and flinching inwardly.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri," he greeted the man, "why are you looking for me?"

"An interesting question, young Kuchiki. Perhaps you will get an answer, but don't you think we should try not to be too obvious? Your shikai. Why don't you use it and we'll go back to my division?"

"I don't think so," Tetsuya answered, stiffening.

"You don't trust me?" Mayuri snickered, "What a shame. I'm rather insulted. But what should I expect from the leader of Kuchiki house forces, ne?"

"What do you want with me?" Tetsuya asked petulantly, "I have duties to attend to and you are..."

"How rude! But then, you Kuchikis are known for that, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're..."

"I'll get to the point, as my time is as valuable as yours and I have experiments waiting. By now, you should be feeling the effects of the compound that the quincy expelled."

"What are you going on about?" Tetsuya asked irritably, "I am not..."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Mayuri said sternly, "After all, being curious about whether there would be side effects even after the compound exploded, I made sure that everyone at the scene was secretly given a drug that carried a transmission device that monitored _everything_!"

"A...?"

"I assure you it is exactly what you think," the twelfth division taichou went on, "I have been monitoring Kurosaki Ichigo, you, your cousin and that red-haired playboy he works with."

"You...what?" Tetsuya gasped, "How _dare_ you interfere with members of the noble clans!"

"Oh I assure you," Kurotsuchi said, stepping forward and backing Tetsuya up against a tall, white column that stood alongside the fountain, "where the safety and protection of the Seireitei is concerned, I will do whatever I must and interfere with _anyone_ who could pose a threat. You four were involved in that explosion and could have been contaminated in ways we couldn't see. As such, it was my duty to follow up and make sure that nothing untoward happened because of it."

"That does _not _give you the right to drug us or to monitor our private exchanges!" the noble snapped furiously.

"You mean, like that savory kissing you and Abarai fukutaichou were engaging in last night?"

Tetsuya's blue eyes widened and flared.

"You bastard! He had a nightmare and was out of his senses!" Tetsuya cried, "He didn't know what he was doing!"

"Ah, but you knew what _you _were doing, didn't you?"

"I resisted him! I didn't...!"

"Oh, I was watching _very_ closely, Kuchiki Tetsuya, I assure you. You may have resisted some out of instinct, but your physical responses tell a much different story! You two were resonating off the charts."

"That's none of your business!" Tetsuya snapped, pulling free and preparing to engage his flash step, "Now, get out of my way!"

"Are you going to tell Abarai-san about the child, Kuchiki Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya froze and his eyes closed for a moment, then opened, bearing a look of torment.

"You weren't expecting that, were you?" Mayuri went on, "After all, you probably weren't sure, yourself, just yet. But I will confirm it for you so that you can begin your preparations. Is there..._anyone else I should make the grand announcement to_? Abarai Renji, perhaps? Or maybe..._Byakuya_?"

"What do you want from me?" Tetsuya demanded, scowling, "You know they are going to find out anyway. I have no illusions about that."

"And you remember how your last pregnancy ended, ne?" the twelfth division taichou reminded him.

Tetsuya let out a distressed breath and glanced back in the direction his cousin and Renji had gone, then he turned his eyes back on Mayuri.

"What are you getting at?"

A sly smile crept across the other man's smug face.

"I can help you, Tetsuya-san," he offered, taking on a more friendly tone, "I can both stabilize your body to better tolerate the pregnancy, and I can help you to conceal it."

"And what good will it do to conceal it?" Tetsuya asked impatiently, "It will only be discovered later, when I have the child! I don't...! Renji-san doesn't want a spouse and a child. If I told him, he would probably join forces with my cousin and...and..."

"And pressure you to abort it?" Mayuri said, his smile fading, "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Why are you doing this?" Tetsuya pleaded softly, "I haven't done anything to you. I barely know you! Why would you...?"

"I am a scientist, my young Kuchiki," Mayuri said simply, "If I help you, I will learn a great many things about your breeder ability, and that knowledge could lead to other discoveries. I have everything to gain and nothing to lose by helping you and you, it seems, have everything to gain by cooperating with me and everything to lose by trying to fumble through this on your own."

"You act as though you are giving me some kind of choice," Tetsuya said unhappily, "But if I don't do what you want..."

"I will be sure that those two men you are avoiding know everything by nightfall," Mayuri threatened him.

"You are a heartless monster!" Tetsuya hissed, clenching his fists.

"I've been told that," Mayuri snickered, "But I prefer to think of myself as _brutally efficient in getting what I want_."

Tetsuya's face paled and he lowered his eyes.

"You promise that you will not tell them if I...?"

"You just have to agree to entrust your pregnancy to me, Tetsuya-san," Mayuri explained, "I will see you through it, and you can then later decide if you want to spring the news on _Daddy Renji_ and your dear cousin or perhaps...introduce the tyke as a peasant child you adopted, perhaps?"

"I don't know."

"You said that Renji-san doesn't want you or a baby. It would certainly hamper his free-wheeling, free-_loving_ lifestyle, ne?"

"You may be right about that, but..."

Tetsuya's face paled more and he let out a distressed breath as a wave of dizziness struck. The air went dark around him and Mayuri's voice distorted and began to fade.

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" the twelfth division taichou laughed, catching the noble as he collapsed, "Don't worry about a thing, Kuchiki Tetsuya, I will keep your lurid secret...if you'll keep mine!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Whoa, Ichigo!" Renji said, giving his friend a surprised look as he joined them in the underground training area and Kisuke prepared a garganta, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ichigo chuckled, "I'm going with you to Hueco Mundo."

"Wait a sec! You're going with us? No one told me about this. Taichou?"

Byakuya exchanged glances with the Shiba heir and nodded briefly.

"It would be a pleasure to have your company," he answered Ichigo politely.

"Yeah, right," grumbled Renji, "The last time he and that asshole, Grimmjow crossed paths, all they did was argue...loudly!"

"Like you and Grimmjow weren't doing the same thing!" Ichigo fired back.

"As I recall, the three of you were so distracted with each other that I was able to finesse what I wanted from Lady Harribel quite easily," Byakuya commented.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ichigo complained, "You were using us so you could put the moves on that hollow?"

"And since when is she anything like a lady?" mused Renji, "Did you forget how she almost killed Hitsugaya taichou that time?"

Byakuya released an amused exhale and stepped towards the opened doorway.

"I don't think that learning troop number and placement information and verifying loyalty to our cause qualifies as _putting the moves on_ her, ne?" he answered sedately.

"Whatever you say," Ichigo huffed, "but since we're seeing each other officially now, you'll need to be all business."

"I see," Byakuya replied, smirking ever so slightly as he entered the garganta, "I will endeavor to remember that."

Byakuya moved forward, laying down a bright, perfectly constructed path as the other two men exchanged scowls and flash stepped after him. They proceeded through the deep cavern with Byakuya sensing their pathway, then turned and exited, flash stepping down onto the sand.

"Huh," Renji said, frowning, "We're not going to the fortress, Taichou?"

"No, Lady Harribel and Jaegerjaques Grimmjow are in the field, as another quincy attack was reported, even as we were making our way here. I received word just before we left Urahara's shop."

"Is that why you really tagged along, Ichigo?" Renji asked, "Did you know about this?"

"I was with Kisuke when the report came in," Ichigo confessed, "I asked Kisuke if he thought you'd need an extra hand and he said you might, so that's why I came along."

"Then, what was that crap about 'just tagging along?'" Renji queried.

"I think Ichigo was simply attempting to be respectful and not to suggest that I cannot take care of myself," Byakuya surmised, giving his smiling boyfriend a look of approval.

"You can take care of yourself just fine," Ichigo said firmly, "I just want to be there to help out if I can."

"As I said before, your presence is appreciated," Byakuya replied, moving closer to him and slipping a pale hand into his, "Renji, will you move on ahead to scout for us?"

"Sure," the redhead chuckled, lowering his voice as he continued, "I guess we know who'll be guarding your backside, ne Taichou?"

"Did you say something?" Byakuya asked, startling him.

"Naw, nothing Taichou," Renji answered, blushing as he flash stepped out of view.

"Finally, some alone time," Ichigo said, smiling as Renji disappeared into the distance, "Can we take a little break and look at the stars or are you in a big hurry?"

"We do need to arrive soon," Byakuya sighed, "however, I think we could pause on that rise to reconnoiter before we go down into the next valley."

"You've got it!"

The two flash stepped to the top of the rise and stood in a cluster of boulders, looking out across the darkened landscape.

"You sure we should leave Renji alone out there?" Ichigo asked, "He sure knows how to find trouble, ne?"

"I think you rather excel at that, yourself," Byakuya reminded him.

"Sometimes," the Shiba heir agreed, slipping his arms around the noble, "Hey, you look a little more pale than usual. You okay?"

"It is just the moonlight," Byakuya assured him, "I feel fine."

"Good," Ichigo said, seeking his lips and caressing them teasingly with his own.

They kissed several times before Byakuya nodded briefly and indicated the direction Renji had gone.

"We should find my fukutaichou before he gets into mischief."

"Okay, but once business is concluded, can I spend some time alone with you?"

"We were together last night," Byakuya recalled, a shaft of moonlight catching his dark eyes and lighting them as he remembered.

"Yeah, and it was really great. But it was just like an appetizer. You left me wanting more."

"Well," the Kuchiki heir said, smiling warmly, "I will, of course, indulge you once this mission is over and all of the proper reports are filed."

"Eh, can't you have Renji do the reports?"

"Only if I want them turned in late and unreadable," Byakuya chuckled softly, "I must see to my duties, but I promise that as soon as I have, I will take a long weekend. We could, perhaps, visit the estate where I was born. It's especially lovely when everything is in bloom."

"You've got it," Ichigo said, grinning, "Fine, back to work, then, but I'm holding you to that promise."

The two continued their trek through the desert, meeting up with Renji and then moving on together. As they closed in on their destination, Byakuya felt an odd weakness pass over him, and he stumbled, then caught himself. Ichigo frowned and moved closer.

"Byakuya, are you sure you're all right? You don't look so good," he commented.

"He's right," Renji agreed, squinting slightly to get a better look, "What's going on, Taichou?"

"I am not sure, but it's fine. I will be fine. We need to focus on our mission and not be distracted. We still don't know the timetable for that quincy attack."

"Look, maybe I should go on ahead and meet with those guys," suggested Renji, "I can..."

"I am grateful for the offer, Abarai," Byakuya replied, running a hand over his sweating face, "but this is going to require some diplomacy."

"Hey, I can be charming too!" Renji insisted, "Besides, it doesn't look like you're going to be reaching the encampment. You look like hell, Taichou."

"Perhaps I should rest a bit," Byakuya suggested, "Go on and inform our contacts that my arrival has been briefly delayed."

Ichigo and Renji loosed sounds of surprise and dismay as Byakuya swayed dizzily, then started to fall.

"Whoa! I've got you," Ichigo said, catching him.

"Man, that's just like what happened to Tetsuya-san," Renji mused, moving closer and examining the unconscious noble briefly, "But Hanatarou just gave Tetsuya-san an infusion and had him rest. It may be what happened at the twelfth or it could be something going around. We'll just infuse him and get him to the meeting point."

"I can give him the reiatsu infusion," Ichigo offered, "You go on and report this to Harribel."

"Heh, just don't blow him up or anything," Renji chuckled, flash stepping away.

"Very funny, asshole," Ichigo grumbled, carrying Byakuya into an empty cave.

He laid the Kuchiki heir on his back in a soft patch of sand in the back of the cave and slowly infused his body with healing power. As he worked, their bodies began to glow softly with gentle white light.

"That's weird," Ichigo commented, shaking his head, "It never did that before..."


	5. Haze

**Chapter 5: Haze**

**(Thanks so much to Eva Galana (Well, then get ready for fireworks because this one's about to explode. Lots of excitement. I really had fun with this chapter!), Picklez80 (Take a number my friend. I am sure you'll have lots of company! Mayuri is just dastardly! And Bya's about to have his world rocked...a few times!), Willow (Yes, fainting Kuchikis are too adorable. Probably why I enjoy knocking them up in my stories!), No Name (Hee hee! Yeah, Bya should have been more careful and Renji will start rethinking himself soon. Mayuri is Mayuri and I'm thinking of all kinds of ways to make him pay. Hmmm, maybe ought to poll on that sometime! lol), and Alabirdie (Ichigo and Renji are just the right kind of humor to lighten things between crises. And there will be a few of those! But just wait until Arashi and 'Daddy' Renji butt heads. Tetsuya's stallion is one feisty piece of work!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

"Intensify the magnification on the reiatsu scope," Mayuri ordered Nemu, "I want to study every last cell. I've never studied a breeder male before."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," his subordinate answered solemnly, "But are you sure you should keep him unconscious for so long? It might not be good for the baby."

"The brat's fine!" the twelfth division taichou snapped, jabbing a finger in the direction of one of the monitors, "And the reiatsu hasn't progressed far enough to interfere greatly with his spirit core. It will be a bit longer before it begins to have adverse effects, and by then, we will have adjusted the position of the spirit chamber."

"Are you sure that we should do that with the reiatsu inside, sir? It could destabilize. They could hollowfy."

"If we don't adjust the chamber, they will die anyway. And if they hollowfy, we will kill them. No one knows where he is, and they won't know to look here."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

"Fascinating," Mayuri mused, glaring intently into the scope, then looking up at a video image of Tetsuya in shikai, "But this is a bit confusing."

"Sir?"

"I have taken the readings several times and oddly, it seems like his ability doesn't match his body's capacity. As you know, a shinigami channels power through his spirit centers, which widen or constrict to control the passage of that power. But I have noted this man's power output in the past and I have no idea how he performs on that level. His body was badly abused while he was a child and his spirit centers show signs of past damage. However, damage to the targets he strikes is at a level that defies what his body can emit. So, if there is a conduit that carries that additional force, then where is it?"

"It is a mystery, sir."

"And there's only one way to figure this out. Nemu, prepare the reiatsu gun."

"Sir, you are going to...?"

"He has shown himself to be capable of withstanding captain level reiatsu. He must be able to shunt it off somehow. He is also able to draw it from somewhere to make his attacks," Mayuri said, glancing at the image of Tetsuya, guiding his mount over a fiery obstacle while activating his bankai, "If we want to know where the power goes, the best way is to expose him to a reiatsu source and watch how his body reacts. With sensors in place, we can track the reiatsu as it moves and trace it to whatever he is using to amplify his power and draw off the force of incoming attacks."

"But this is dangerous, isn't it? Shouldn't we wait until the baby is born before we...?"

"Do you think that Byakuya will let him anywhere near this place willingly?" Mayuri snapped, "He is here now. We will study him now. The baby will be fine. Now, set the strength of the gun pulse at shikai capacity first. We'll test it once, then raise it."

With a look of misgiving, the young woman adjusted the controls on the reiatsu gun, then aimed it at Tetsuya and fired a pulse that flashed red as it impacted the noble's restrained body. A jolt went through Tetsuya and his face registered pain at the intrusion. Mayuri studied the readout from the gun and nodded.

"His spirit centers responded normally to that, but then, it was well within his capacity. Raise the level to that of his bankai."

"Sir?"

"Do it now, you moron! He'll just shunt it off somehow. We'll follow the emitted reiatsu to the source and find out what secrets this boy is hiding. Go on. Fire it now!"

"Yes sir."

Nemu set the new reiatsu level, then hesitated, glancing down at the unconscious man, then at her taichou.

"What are you waiting for? Fire the gun!" Mayuri ordered her.

"Y-yes sir."

She took a breath and began to touch the button, then stopped again as a monitor complained and Tetsuya began to writhe and groan uncomfortably.

"Blast it!"

"Sir, the baby's reiatsu is destabilizing. He needs an infusion of the father's reiatsu."

"We have samples of Abarai Renji's reiatsu," Mayuri said tersely, "Give him a bit then...Well, get on with it!"

The young woman moved in close to Tetsuya and began the infusion, while her flustered taichou sought the controls of the reiatsu gun and took aim on the noble again. He started to reset the power level, then made a sound of annoyance as a hell butterfly arrived, interrupting him again.

"Kurotsuchi taichou," said Kyouraku's smooth voice, "We need you to report to Kuchiki Manor..."

Mayuri stiffened momentarily, but relaxed again as the captain commander continued.

"Kuchiki taichou collapsed on a mission to Hueco Mundo and I want you to check him for foreign reiatsu, anything dangerous. Also, examine whether this might be related to the explosion at your headquarters he was caught in."

"Would you like me to read his tea leaves while we're at it?" the twelfth division taichou muttered irritably.

He let out a disapproving huff and glared at his fukutaichou.

"Nemu, continue the infusion until he stabilizes. I will be back."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," Nemu replied, leaning over the semi-conscious noble and soothing him back into sleep.

One gloved hand slipped down to rub Tetsuya's exposed abdomen gently as the infusion commenced, and her eye strayed up to watch the strong, steady throbs of the developing baby's glowing reiatsu.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Taichou!" Renji exclaimed in a dismayed tone, "What in kami's name are you doing out of bed? You just barely woke up."

"Renji's right," added Ichigo, laying a hand on his distressed boyfriend's arm as Byakuya hastily dressed, "You still look pretty out of sorts."

"I don't know how this happened!" Byakuya mused, pushing Ichigo's hand away and continuing his preparations, "It wasn't supposed to. The power only activates with strong resonance and an act of will. It isn't something that should have happened!"

"Byakuya, what are you talking about?" Ichigo pleaded, "What's got you so upset?"

Byakuya glanced from Ichigo to Renji, then sighed and sat down on the bed.

"Okay," Ichigo said bracingly, "Just calm down for a minute and tell me what's going on. Whatever it is, we can deal with it, all right?"

"Can you _deal with_ inciting a riot in my clan? I am _with child_!" he announced, his face paling more with each word.

"What?" Renji gasped, his eyes rounding, "But...how's that even possible? You're a...guy...aren't you, Taichou?"

"I am male," Byakuya confirmed, "But there are certain rare males within our clan that can carry children. I am one of them. I told this to Ichigo before we were intimate."

Ichigo stared back at the Kuchiki heir with widened, stunned eyes.

"You're...gonna have our baby?" he said wonderingly, "Really?"

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation!" Byakuya snapped, shocking him out of his reverie, "This isn't something that the elders want people to know about! Tetsuya and I gave an oath to the council that we would not use that power without coming before them and working out some means of keeping the matter completely private. The history of the noble breeder males is not something that we are proud of. It caused great dissent amongst the clans. And if it becomes known to the Noble's General Council that the Kuchiki clan leader is a breeder male, there is going to be outright chaos!"

"Whoa! Tetsuya-san's a breeder male too?" Renji asked, blinking.

"I don't think this is the time, Renji," Ichigo said shortly.

"I have to meet with our elders immediately. They are sensitive to the presence of an heir. They may already know. I have to get to them and figure out what to do before this becomes a public incident!"

"But, Tetsuya..." Renji began.

"It's gonna be okay. We'll talk to them. We'll explain."

"I don't know if they'll be of a mind to listen. I did promise to come before them and tell them before activating the ability. Tetsuya and I both did."

"But, Tetsuya was losing..." Renji tried again.

"It's gonna be fine," Ichigo interrupted, "You're their leader. They'll listen to what you have to say."

"I don't know _what_ to tell them."

"Just tell them what happened."

"Guys..."

"I don't _know_ what happened!"

"We talked about it before we were together. We agreed we weren't ready and we decided to wait for that. It's the truth."

"But that's not how the ability is supposed to work," Byakuya objected.

"Taichou..."

"A moment, Abarai," Byakuya said, turning his attention back to Ichigo, "I have pored over the histories in the past, over every word inscribed about the breeders, and there is much we don't know. I was presumptuous, thinking I understood it well enough to take risks. I should have used a protection charm to be sure!"

"Well, it's not like you knew I was going to sneak up on you like that and..."

"Hey, look, you guys, I think Tetsuya's pregnant too!" Renji announced.

"What are you babbling about, Abarai?" Byakuya asked brusquely.

"It was my fault," Ichigo went on. I'll just tell them that. My clan will take some responsibility."

"They don't want to bring other clans into this!" Byakuya reminded him, "They don't want the other clans to know!"

"I said TETSUYA'S PREGNANT TOO!" Renji yelled.

Byakuya went silent, staring at him.

"Well, good job keeping that secret," Ichigo complained, "You want to yell that a little louder, Renji? A few people in the Seireitei might not have heard you."

"Shut up, Ichigo," Renji snapped, "I couldn't get anyone to listen to me."

He looked back at Byakuya just in time to see the Kuchiki heir flying at him and throwing a blistering punch he barely evaded.

"What are you doing?" he cried.

"You bastard!" Byakuya hissed furiously, "You told me you didn't sleep with my cousin!"

"What? I didn't!"

"Then, how would he be pregnant, you fool! Tetsuya hasn't had a romantic partner since he was a prisoner.

He hasn't shared a bed with anyone since he was freed, but you!"

"Whoa, Renji, you slept with Tetsuya?" Ichigo asked, blinking in surprise.

"I slept _next to_ him!" Renji insisted, "We never had sex. I swear it!"

"Then, how would he be pregnant?" Byakuya demanded.

"I don't know!" Renji replied in a flustered tone, "I just said that because he was passing out too. I don't know if he is or isn't."

"Maybe not," Byakuya said, frowning, "But our elders will know. Because when a breeder is impregnated, the offspring requires the continued infusion of the father's reiatsu, and the elders can sense this exchange."

His eyes narrowed and his tone darkened ominously.

"And if you are lying to me, Abarai, it will become clear when we meet with them."

"Why would I lie to you?" Renji complained.

"C'mon Renji," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "Everyone knows you sleep with a lot of people...especially young, cute guys like Tetsuya."

"I do not!" Renji argued angrily, "Look, I don't want to settle down, so I date around. Last time I checked, that wasn't a crime. And I don't take advantage of anyone. The guys I'm with all know how I am. I don't lie to them! And anyway, I didn't sleep with Tetsuya-san. He just slept in my bed because he passed out. So, if he is pregnant, he was already pregnant when he spent the night with me."

"You're probably right," Byakuya said, calming, "My apologies for reacting so vehemently. I just...cannot stand anyone doing anything to hurt him. He has endured far too much."

"Yeah, I understand," Renji said, regaining his composure, "No hard feelings."

"Should I go with you to that elders' meeting?" asked Ichigo.

"I think it would be best," Byakuya sighed, shaking his head, "At very least, you can reassure them that you will be discreet and we can work on figuring out what to do."

"We'll get married right away, if they want us to," Ichigo suggested.

Byakuya looked back at him in surprise.

"What? You think I'm not going to take care of my lover and kid? Really?"

"I know we spoke about marriage and children," Byakuya pondered, "But we were speaking of sometime in the future."

"So, the future's going to start a little sooner," Ichigo said, smiling at him, "It's okay. It's all gonna be okay."

"But Taichou, what if Tetsuya-san is pregnant?" Renji asked, "Will he get into trouble?"

Byakuya looked back at the other two men worriedly.

"I think there is no doubt about that. But, whatever their reaction, if Tetsuya is pregnant, there is a larger concern. He was pregnant at the time he left the prison, and he was badly injured. I was forced to choose between the child and him..."

"Oh gods..." Renji breathed, paling at the thought.

"That's horrible," Ichigo agreed.

"I chose Tetsuya and the pregnancy was ended while he was unconscious and unable to speak for himself. And worse, I knew what my cousin would have chosen and I chose to save him anyway."

"Hey, I know Tetsuya well enough to know he wouldn't blame you for something like that," Ichigo interjected gently.

"No," Byakuya agreed, " He told me that he understood completely and that he didn't blame me for following my heart. But I knew even then that if Tetsuya ever became pregnant again, he would, of course, hesitate to tell me. He knows I fear what could happen because of the damage done to him."

"What could happen?" Ichigo inquired.

"His injury forced the spirit chamber within him too close to his spirit core. If he became pregnant again, he would slowly lose his powers, and he would likely die before giving birth. There may be interventions, but it is hard to say if he could be stabilized enough. And Tetsuya is right in thinking that I would be conflicted about that. He would fear that I might try to convince him to abort the pregnancy rather than risking him. I...cannot even promise that I wouldn't. Tetsuya filled an empty space in my life, after my father died. He is the son of my father's first cousin and very best friend. He has been close to me ever since I found him and brought him to live here."

"So, it's hard for you to take risks with him. I get it," said Ichigo, slipping an arm around him.

"I wonder where he is," Byakuya mused anxiously, "I know we haven't been back that long, but he would have come immediately upon learning I was ill."

"That doesn't sound right," Renji said, frowning, "If you want, I can go and look for him while you guys handle the council meeting."

"Would you?" Byakuya asked, still sounding troubled, "We need to know if there is any chance you are right in your suspicion."

"I'll find him," Renji promised, "We'll get to the bottom of things. Just focus on taking care of yourself and your kid. I'll take care of your cousin."

"Thank you, Renji," the noble said gratefully, "You might begin with a trip to the stables. Tetsuya and his stallion share a very close connection. If anyone can help you locate him quickly, it will be Arashi."

"Well, I don't speak horse language, but I'll chat him up and see what I can find out."

Byakuya let out a soft chuckle.

"I assure you, you do not need to speak his language to find out what you need to know. Go on. You will see what I mean."

_And if you are lying to me and you did take advantage of my cousin, he will teach you a lesson you will not forget._

"Is something funny?" Ichigo asked curiously, watching as Renji flash stepped away.

"No," Byakuya said, turning away, "Come, Ichigo."

The two disappeared out of the bedroom, just as Byakuya's attendant entered, followed by the twelfth division taichou.

"Byakuya-sama?" Torio called, looking around.

"I thought you said he was brought here, you fool!" Mayuri complained, "You are wasting my time. I have experiments waiting."

"He was here just a few minutes ago. I swear it!" insisted Torio.

"Well, when he finds his way back, he can come to me. He knows where to find me."

Torio watched in dismay as the twelfth division taichou turned abruptly and flash stepped away.

"Whew! That man is _horrid_!" Torio whispered, "I feel sorry for his squad."

He sighed and shook his head, then set about picking up Byakuya's abandoned clothing and straightening up the room.


End file.
